Light

 "When God calls faith should be our response."

A few weeks ago, I walked into the kitchen in the early morning hours and flipped the light switch. The switch made this crackling noise and I immediately thought "that can't be good."

A quick call to the electrician brother let me know that the switch is bad and needs to be replaced. He generously offered to do that for us next time he is out this way.

For a week or so we continued to use the switch but only twice a day - turn on in the morning, and then turn off at night.

Then one morning I turned it on, it made this crackling noise and the light flickered and went off. No more light.

Since we already knew what the problem was (and that it's minor and not a safety hazard), I put some tape over the light switch to remind my people not to use the switch and we would wait until my brother could come and repair it for us.

One of my people complained this week about cooking in the dark kitchen.

I reminded them that there is light - there is a light on the microwave where you can illuminate the stove top. There is a light above the sink where you can see in that area.

Yes, it's significantly less light than we are accustomed to, but there is still light.

You see you have to be looking for the light now - the light does not just shine around you.

This last year has illuminated a lot for me about our community. About the people that we interact with each week in our various classes, church, errands, and recreation.

I feel like in the last year or so, the switch has broken in our community.

We are divisive. We lack true compassion for what burdens others are carrying. We are self focused.

We've become a community where people are finding light in the unchurched rather than the churched.

We've become a community where the light doesn't shine as brightly as it did before.

But much like my kitchen, we are a community where light exists.

We just have to be people who LOOK for the light.

I was reading a book this week that talked about what is known as "observer bias."

"Observer bias (also called experimenter bias or research bias) is the tendency to see what we expect to see, or what we want to see."

We see what we want to see.

If we are looking for light, we will find light.

If we are looking for darkness, we will find darkness.

And what we see, is often what we seep.

As I'm scrolling this morning, I can either be the person who sees only those without empathy or compassion, or I can be the person who sees those who love deep.

I can be the person who criticizes the team that struggles to win a game, or I can be the person who supports and encourages by focusing on the grit and perseverance.

I can be the person who critiques the short staffed, slow local restaurants or I can be the person who is kind and thankful to the handful who show up and work hard.

I can be the person who sees someone sharing negativity and feed into it, or I can share that they must feel burdened and overwhelmed. I can shed light where darkness exists.

Mama Warriors, we see what we are looking for.

And we seep what we find.

Let's be people who find the light, and thus become the light.

Let your light shine..............